By: Scott Larson
slarson@kcautv.com
With the unseasonable weather we've been having, it's hard to believe it's December. Even more crazy, this good weather has helped contribute to the highest rate of home construction in four years during the month of November.
Willie Delfs and his crew with Able Home Builders put up the frame of new home on Thursday afternoon...not the most common sight for the first week of December. Willie, the president of Able Home Builders, says, "Normally this time of year there's frost on the ground but you see here we're framing out on top of a hill and it's fairly windy, but nice."
They've stayed very active through the winter taking on more projects than usual. "Weather is definitely helping on that, we started an addition and completed that this fall as well which normally we don't start this late in the season, but...mother nature's been helping out!" Not only can the group take on more projects, but it's finding the warm weather to be more cost effective as well. "We don't have to buy heat, try to make enclosures to make everything work, when you're all bundled up your work pace slows down and it's just harder to work."
Metro Electric in Sioux City is also seeing big business. The group is wiring an expansion to the Holy Spirit Retirement Home and it's just one of several projects Metro is tackling this winter. Justin Wiebesiek, a supervisor and foreman for Metro Electric, says, "We've been keeping fairly busy. I know the weather has helped tremendously. It just keeps things going through the spring and you know, just kind of helps keep the jobs progressing."
With rising property values and record–low borrowing costs, economists expect the positive trend to hold up.
